Juneteenth, Honor Sen. Johnny Ellis, Local Election 6/21, Seward/Glenn Comments SUBSCRIBE ‌ ‌ June 17, 2022 Dear Neighbors and Friends, As we continue to gain daylight through the summer solstice in the days ahead, let us also take time to reflect on the Juneteenth Emancipation Day holiday. Monday is the federal recognition of the Juneteenth holiday, traditionally honored on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. On June 19, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their emancipation – which was more than 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. This weekend in Anchorage, there are many events to celebrate and honor this important date in American history, review the list of activities and events at juneteenthanchorage.com. I hope to see you at the celebration taking place this Saturday and Sunday, June 18-June 19, at the Delaney Park Strip, from 1:00 to 6:00 PM. There are several other important dates coming up for the district over the next couple of weeks I want to be sure to share with you: the municipal special election, Fairview PEL comment period, and the late Senator Johnny Ellis’ celebration of life. Please read on for more details, and as always, you are welcome to contact my office any time. Local Special Election Day: June 21 The Special Election for the new North Anchorage Assembly District One seat is Tuesday, June 21. You should have already received your ballot in the mail. That ballot can be returned by mail, or it can be dropped at a secure drop box at one of these locations until 8 p.m. on June 21: City Hall, 632 West 6th Avenue, Parking Lot Clark Middle School, 150 Bragaw Street Election Center, 619 E Ship Creek Avenue Fairview Community Recreation Center, 1121 East 10th Avenue West Anchorage High School, 1700 Hillcrest Drive If you wish to vote in person, you can do so at City Hall, 632 West 6th Avenue room #155. It will be open on election day, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Keep in mind City Hall will be closed on June 20 in celebration of Juneteenth. If you have any questions or concerns, Voters may get help with voting questions by visiting muni.org/elections, or calling the Voter Hotline at (907) 243-VOTE (8683). Otherwise, please reach out to our office if you need any assistance. Seward/Glenn Mobility Public Comment: June 24 and July 11 This last week was “Transportation Week” for me and my office as we brought community members and the Alaska Dept. of Transportation together to engage and discuss several ongoing major projects. There are two opportunities for public comment coming up on major road projects in the district: June 24 is the deadline for the public to comment on the Seward/Glenn PEL drafts. The Survey and more information can be found here. At the local level, AMATS is soliciting project nominations for the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) by July 11. More information can be found at the link here. Celebration of Life for Senator Johnny Ellis: June 29 As our community well knows, Alaska lost a giant on February 9 – my predecessor and decades-long friend, Senator Johnny Ellis. His formal obituary was published this week and can be found here. The Senate Democrats issued a statement that day as we joined Alaskans across the state in mourning. Upon his passing last winter, friends and colleagues gathered in Juneau and shared countless stories of our time with Johnny, including numerous floor speeches in both the House and Senate – and yet, there is always more to say about Johnny, who was a true giant among us and served Alaska with his whole heart and soul. I miss my friend. I invite you to gather with our community to celebrate the life and countless accomplishments of Senator Johnny Ellis: A Celebration of Life to honor Senator Johnny Ellis Jr. will be held Wednesday, June 29, 2022 4:30 to 7:00 PM Anchorage Senior Center: 1300 E. 19th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501 Sign up to view an online broadcast via Zoom starting at 5:15pm here. Memorial donations can be made in Johnny’s name to the Alaska Children’s Trust and the Key Campaign. Regretfully, I scheduled an event months ago out of state and will be unable to attend in person. The Alaska Senate Democrats are contributing to this memorial service to honor our colleague, friend, and mentor. I send you many well wishes on this lovely Juneteenth and solstice weekend! All my best, Senator Tom Begich Senate District J Dear Friends and Neighbors, Some good news. American has climbed the list of the happiest countries in the world from 19 in 2021 to 14 in 2022. In 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 it has either been 18th or 19th on the list so why the jump this year? Let me add, that worldwide, the happiness numbers increased by 25%. The article I read said it was because during the pandemic we were participating in, seeing or hearing about people extending themselves for others. Volunteering, donations, and single acts of caring increased by significant numbers. Here are some of the stories: The American Red Cross had 78,000 new volunteers. In Italy it was 60,000, Kenya’s Ready2Help got 48,000 new members, and so on. Even Tuvalu, an island country with no cases of Covid-19 got over 130 new volunteers. A factory in India retooled to make medical-grade liquid oxygen canisters which they gave away free of charge. People going to restaurants for pick up or delivery gave larger than usual tips. One man left a $3,000 tip and asked that it be spread over all of the waitstaff. When the Jersey City eatery Wüstbar planned to close while most of his staff self quarantined, his neighbor, the owner of Virile Barber Shop, worked shifts to keep the restaurant going. Medical practitioners who were retired jumped back into practice. One of them was the Irish Prime Minister. One of the treatments for Covid-19 is to receive plasma from people recovered from Covid-19. The New York Jewry was particularly hit hard with Covid-19. Between the plasma taken from them and Jewish communities across the country they provided half the plasma used in the U.S. The Four Seasons in Manhattan gave away open hotel rooms to medical providers who lived outside of the city so they could rest during the times they would normally have to travel. A groom’s health was failing and the hospital staff, stretched thin with too many Covid cases, pulled together a bedside social distancing wedding including tuxedo tee-shirts for the groom and best man and music. The groom rallied. Scientist were desperately trying to create a vaccine and needed volunteers willing to contract Covid-19. Thousands of young people rushed to help. Abie Rohrig, a 20-year-old college student told CNN, “I know that there are risks, and if I were to do this, and it were to go poorly, then that would be terrible, my family would be really sad…but someone has to step up. It seems like this just needs to happen.” But there was more than being aware of altruistic activity; new work at home adjustments, while being challenging at times, also provided new opportunities. “The kids are helping around the house more,” “I’m in touch with my family who live far away,” or, “My husband and I take more walks, resulting in more time together.” Sixty percent of fathers surveyed felt closer to their children. People I know learned to play an instrument, started better health habits, did DIY projects, craft projects, art. I don’t mean to minimize the losses we have experienced with Covid 19 but only to say, the world still holds promise and joy and we feel it with more abundance than when we started out. Continue to be safe and enjoy this summer, Kayla Contact Me! (907) 465-3704 (Juneau / session) (907) 269-0169 (Anchorage / interim) [email protected] ‌ ‌ Sen. Tom Begich | State Capitol Building, 120 4th St, Room 11, Juneau, AK 99801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]